America Recycles Day is observed on November 15th, it’s the only nationally recognized day dedicated to encouraging Americans to recycle and buy recycled products. Albertsons Companies likes to celebrate recycling every day of the year! Our commitment to responsibly use resources includes thoughtful consideration of how we can reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills and recycle what was once considered trash. We are working toward zero waste across all of our operations.

To qualify as zero waste, facilities must recycle or divert at least 90% of materials that would have previously been sent to landfills. Zero waste is considered achievable in locations with recycling facilities that include composting and/or bio-digestion. Many of our supply operations facilities already achieved zero waste, as of the beginning of this year: nine of our 27 distribution centers, and nine of our 20 manufacturing and food processing plants. Several others are close, thanks to the efforts and passion of the teams on site.

We have been recycling for decades and are constantly identifying new ways to divert materials away from landfills. Our Safeway operations provide just one example of waste reduction and recycling. In 2014, more than 475,000 tons of materials (including plastic, cardboard, aluminum, food and more) were diverted from landfills. This year, we are placing the same amount of effort in our diversion and recycling programs. We have a number of recycling and waste reduction initiatives throughout our different grocery store chains and operations across the country. For example, since 2010, our fleet in California has used more than 1 million gallons of biodiesel that was converted from used cooking oil from our stores.

Albertsons Companies believes that waste can be significantly reduced through collaborative partnerships. As part of our commitment to address the issue, we joined the EPA Food Recovery Challenge and the US Food Waste Challenge, both of which encourage participants to increase diversion of food waste away from landfills to better uses, such as composting, feeding livestock and feeding hungry people. We are also active members of the U.S. Zero Waste Business Council and the Food Waste Reduction Alliance (FWRA), which respectively aim to standardize zero waste practices and help reduce food waste while also address hunger.

What are YOU doing to celebrate America Recycles Day? Check with your local Albertsons Companies grocery store if you’d like to purchase a reusable shopping bag, or learn more about where to recycle your old plastic bags.